Preparation
Getting Started
To begin using ePortfolios for either a course or program, it is important to map the products that students create—i.e., ePortfolio artifacts—to specific objectives or standards.
Course or program objectives describe what knowledge, skills, or attitudes that you want students to show they have mastered. By assigning projects that align directly with these objectives, students know what is expected and instructors know what to evaluate. When mapping artifacts to the objectives it is also important to think about the level of competency required. For example, asking a nursing student to write down the process for finding a vein and inserting a needle is a lower level of competence than asking that same student to demonstrate that he or she has actually done it (e.g., video clip, observation log written by supervising doctor or nurse in the field). Reflective statements allow students to describe how they feel when performing the skill.
Standards created by outside agencies, such as teacher credential agencies and discipline-specific accreditation bodies, often predetermine what skills and knowledge students need to show. You can still be creative with how students use an ePortfolio to demonstrate their competencies. You can also add components that the standards often do not require, such as reflective statements, leadership skills, and community-based activities.
